---
title: "CVE-2025-8088: RARLAB WinRAR Path Traversal Vulnerability"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2025-8088/
description: "CVE-2025-8088 (RARLAB WinRAR): Exploited in the wild (CISA KEV). A path traversal vulnerability affecting the Windows version of WinRAR allows the attackers…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2025-08-08
date_modified: 2026-10-21
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2025-8088"
kev: true
cvss: 8.4
epss: 0.94509
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2025-8088: RARLAB WinRAR Path Traversal Vulnerability

**Signal:** Exploited: patch now if you run it. CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild. (Computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS; not an editorial verdict.)

## Should you act?

- Yes, if you run RARLAB WinRAR. CISA added this CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2025-08-12, which means there is reliable evidence of exploitation in the wild. US federal agencies must remediate by 2025-09-02 ; treat that as the outer limit, not the target. CISA also lists it as known to be used in ransomware campaigns .
- EPSS 94.5% , percentile 99.9: FIRST’s model estimates a 94.5% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 99.9% of all scored CVEs (very high). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Needs local access needed. Lower urgency for most teams unless an attacker could already run code on the machine.
- Editorial verdict: Check exposure. WinRAR CVE-2025-8088: ADS Path Traversal Exploited by RomCom — Fixed since July 2025 but still heavily exploited, and WinRAR does not update itself, so hunt down every copy at 7.12 or older and update it today.

## What it is

A path traversal vulnerability affecting the Windows version of WinRAR allows the attackers to execute arbitrary code by crafting malicious archive files. This vulnerability was exploited in the wild and was discovered by Anton Cherepanov, Peter Košinár, and Peter Strýček from ESET.

## Affected products (CVE record)

- win.rar GmbH WinRAR: <= 7.12

## Severity

- ESET CVSS 4.0: 8.4 `CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`

## Exploitation

- CISA KEV: added 2025-08-12; federal due date 2025-09-02. Known ransomware use: Known.
- CISA required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation active , automatable no , technical impact total .
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 94.51% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 99.9.

## Sources

- [Listed in CISA KEV notes (win-rar.com)](https://www.win-rar.com/singlenewsview.html?&L=0&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=283&cHash=a64b4a8f662d3639dec8d65f47bc93c5)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2025-8088](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-8088)
- [NVD entry CVE-2025-8088](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-8088)
- [CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog entry](https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2025-8088)
- [welivesecurity.com](https://www.welivesecurity.com/en/eset-research/update-winrar-tools-now-romcom-and-others-exploiting-zero-day-vulnerability/#the-discovery-of-cve-2025-8088)
- [vicarius.io](https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2025-8088-detect-winrar-zero-day)
- [vicarius.io](https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2025-8088-mitigate-winrar-zero-day-using-srp-and-ifeo)
- [support.dtsearch.com](https://support.dtsearch.com/faq/dts0245.htm)
- [arstechnica.com](https://arstechnica.com/security/2025/08/high-severity-winrar-0-day-exploited-for-weeks-by-2-groups/)

---
Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2025-8088/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt